The United World Colleges (International)

History
In 1955, educational pioneer Kurt Hahn delivered a speech at the NATO Defense College in Paris. During his visit, he was inspired by the cooperation and loyalty shown by military men who had very recently been on opposite sides in World War Two.
Hahn had already been involved in the founding of a number of schools and education organisations, and his ideas on education were constantly evolving. At the time, he talked frequently about the power of education as a route to peace, as well as a need to reverse the “decline of compassion” in society.
It was through the convergence of these ideas that UWC was eventually born. In 1962, UWC Atlantic (originally called Atlantic College) in Wales, United Kingdom, admitted its first students. The first UWC school was built on the idea that if young people from different backgrounds were educated together, they could build an understanding which could prevent future conflicts.
From the earliest days of Atlantic College, there was a desire to replicate the model. It was the height of the Cold War, and many saw the benefits of an idea that valued connection, compassion and service. By the end of the 1960s, the United World Colleges name had been coined, and a movement started to become a reality.
Mission and Goals
United World Colleges (UWC) is a global movement that makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. At UWC, our mission is to inspire young people, through educational experiences at our schools / colleges or our short courses, to put their talents and energy into driving change around the world, no matter which future path they choose.
Current activities
UWC International is the coordinating body for the UWC movement, a global network of schools and national committees (NCs). Its primary role is to oversee strategic direction, global advocacy, and network-wide initiatives, ensuring that education serves as a catalyst for peace and sustainability across all member schools and NCs. UWC International supports and strengthens individual UWC schools and NCs, facilitates collaboration, and manages global programmes and fundraising efforts to enhance the educational impact of UWC.
Its current activities are guided by the "UWC Strategy – 2018 and Beyond," whose aim is to reinforce UWC International's ambition to be a global leader in education, advocating for values-based learning that fosters peace, sustainability, and global citizenship.
Seek: UWC International focuses on enhancing the capabilities of its national committees (NCs), the volunteer-led organisations responsible for selecting UWC students worldwide. Initiatives include:
Implementing NC Fund programmes to strengthen NCs in promotion, selection, and fundraising.
Operating the Global Selection Programme (GSP) to offer an additional pathway for student applications.
Providing training on the revised Financial Needs Assessment (FNA) tool to ensure equitable access.
Increasing the use of Survey Monkey Apply (SMA) for streamlined application management.
Maintaining the "NC Space" online resource library to support effective NC operations.
Educate: Within education, UWC International continually refines educational models. This includes:
Prioritising the implementation and evaluation of International Baccalaureate (IB) pilot programmes across its member schools and colleges to maintain educational standards and ensure alignment with global academic benchmarks.
The Education Committee’s working group on the Educational Framework plays a pivotal role in guiding the evolution of UWC's academic programmes. It facilitates ongoing discussions and updates to curriculum frameworks, ensuring they reflect current educational best practices and UWC's mission.
Expanding Short Courses through initiatives like the Short Course Development Initiative (SCDI), collaborating notably with the UWC Spanish National Committee to offer approximately 20 courses annually with around 900 participants.
Safeguarding: developing and implementing standards across the UWC movement and facilitating exchanges to address any emerging safeguarding issues.
Completing annually a Mental Health Survey, with results used to inform initiatives aimed at enhancing mental health awareness and support services across the UWC movement.
Inspire: UWC International remains committed to advocacy and engagement efforts to promote its values globally. Key activities include:
Managing the UWC Hub, a central platform for UWC community engagement, and publishing the monthly UWC Hub Digest.
Organising events for UWC Day and supporting event organisers worldwide.
Collaborating with Young Aurora, an initiative engaging youth in impactful projects.
Engaging stakeholders through UWCx initiatives and promoting the "UWC Pledge" to foster commitment to UWC values globally.
Support: Critical support functions such as finance, fundraising, governance, communications, and technology remain essential for UWC International’s operational success:
Supporting schools and NCs in optimising finances
Raising funds and managing partnerships to support scholarships and educational programmes, including initiatives like The Davis-UWC Dare to Dream Programme and collaborations with Schmidt Futures/Rise and EU-funded initiatives, which expand scholarship opportunities across the UWC movement. The UWC Refugee
Initiative specifically supports scholarships for displaced students globally.
Implementing communication strategies to enhance visibility of the UWC brand, celebrate milestones, and raise global awareness through various media channels and publications."
Future planned activities
In 2023-24, UWC International launched a comprehensive strategy review, outlining key focus areas for 2025-2030:
Seek: Expand access to UWC education globally, prioritizing underrepresented regions and communities, supported by enhanced promotion efforts and expanded National Committees.
Educate: Innovate UWC's educational model to foster leadership and sustainability skills, integrating contemporary pedagogies and AI, and enhancing well-being support.
Connect: Strengthen the UWC community through global networking initiatives, UWC clubs, and alumni engagement, fostering lifelong contributions to UWC's mission.
Amplify: Increase UWC's global influence through strategic partnerships, educational collaborations, and enhanced visibility in global forums.
These efforts are underpinned by cross-cutting enablers such as financial sustainability, human capital development, effective communications, collaborative leadership, and technological advancement. The strategy aims to fortify existing capabilities and cultivate new ones to maximize UWC's global impact.